By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
The road to victory in last
weekend’s Bill Conlin Pace by Rue Hanover and Chip Lackey is an interesting
one.
The Pennsylvania-bred
3-year-old miss was purchased as a yearling by John Glenn at Harrisburg and was
then sent to Canada for her 2-year-old season, where she had to settle for
minor awards in her first 10 starts.
Lackey picks up the story.
“It was the first of August and I got a call from John, who is a good horseman
and an even better friend. He knew I was desperate for horses and said he had a
maiden I should come take a look at up in Toronto.”
After checking out Rue
Hanover, Chip bought the pacing filly for himself and Kenneth Seastrom and
promptly brought her with him to Hawthorne Park, where she recorded two wins
before once again hitting the road and arriving in Sacramento last month.
“I was very impressed with
her win in the Conlin leg on opening night,” Lackey noted. “She’d been off for
five weeks and traveled across the country.”
Rue Hanover came right back
and accounted for the Conlin final last week, leaving sharply from the No. 8
slot to get position before challenging first over past the half and gamely
getting the job done
“She’s a bit of a firecracker,
high strung and all, but she’s shown she has guts,” her mentor praised. “Her
dam is a half-sister to Rock N Roll Hanover and Royal Flush Hanover, who were
both millionaires, so she has class in her pedigree.”
Bettor in the Bank eyes
hat trick
Bettor in the Bank, who has
started the meet with back-to-back wins, looks to keep the momentum going in
Friday night’s $5,000 pacing feature. First post for the nine-race card is 6:40
p.m.
A 9-year-old son of Bettor
Tuwin, Bettor in the Bank is owned by Debra McCarthy, hails from the Gordie
Graham barn and will once again have James Kennedy giving directions as he
steps up another notch in class and leaves from the demanding No. 9 slot.
The dark-hued performer, who
has captured 45 of his 184 starts with a 1:51 2/5 mark established here last
season, left little doubt on opening night as he waltzed home by two and a
quarter lengths on the class drop.
Bettor in the Bank had to
work a lot harder in last week’s tally as the 2-5 chalk, surging when it
counted for Kennedy to up by a nose in a 1:53 1/5 mile where the first three
finishers were separated by a neck.
Friday’s eighth race is a
very interesting affair that will be decided at the elongated distance of a
mile and a half, with last week’s coast-to-coast victor Blue Star Maverick
squaring off against Al’s Briefs, who was Bettor in the Bank’s most immediate
victim last weekend.
***
Watch and Wager LLC is proud to
host its 8th annual Thanksgiving Dinner this Saturday from 3 to 8
p.m. in the driver’s room. All licensees and employees are welcome!
***
There is a $5,898 carryover
in the 20-cent Hi-Five, which is conducted on the finale, with a
$20,000-guaranteed gross pool. There is also a $25,000-guaranteed pool on the
20-cent Pick 4 on both Friday and Saturday.
